Mon Homme

Sheet music with Fanny Brice

"Mon Homme" (French pronunciation: ​[mɔ̃.n‿ɔm]) is a popular song known by its English translation, "My Man". The song was originally composed by Maurice Yvain with French lyrics by Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) and Albert Willemetz. The English lyrics were written by Channing Pollock.

History

Mon Homme was copyrighted in France by Maurice Yvain, Albert Willemetz and Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) in 1920 and was introduced to Parisian audiences in the revue "Paris qui Jazz" at the Casino de Paris. The song was performed by revue star Mistinguett and her stage partner American dancer Harry Pilcer.

Although the song originated in France –where it was a hit for Mistinguett– it was popularized in the English speaking world in the 1920s with the 1921 recording by Ziegfeld Follies singer Fanny Brice. The song was a hit, and the record eventually earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award for Brice in 1999. Brice also sang the song during one of the sound sequences of the part-talkie film My Man (1928).

Alice Faye sang it in the musical film Rose of Washington Square (1939), a thinly veiled biography of Fanny Brice.[1][lower-alpha 1]

The ballad version recorded by Brice was modified by Billie Holiday, who introduced a jazz/blues recording of "My Man". Holiday's version was also successful, although the song continued to be associated with Brice. Over the years, other artists from both the United States and abroad covered the song, though none of the artists achieved as much success as Brice and Holiday. One notable version was a 1940s recording by Edith Piaf, the most notable recording of "Mon Homme" in its original language.

Peggy Lee recorded the song for her 1959 album I Like Men!. Her arrangement is very minimalistic, with the drums predominant in the mix.

In 1965, the song was covered by Barbra Streisand on her album My Name Is Barbra and in the film adaptation of Funny Girl (1968), a loosely based biography of Fanny Brice. Her rendition of "My Man", sung during the film's finale, drew additional critical praise to an already lauded performance that earned her the Oscar for Best Actress at the 41st Academy Awards.[2][lower-alpha 2]

Diana Ross performed the song in her final concert appearance as a Supreme at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 14, 1970. Her performance was recorded and later released on the 1970 live album Farewell. Ross adopted Holiday's jazz and blues version rather than the Brice or Streisand versions. In 1972, Ross recorded "My Man" again for the soundtrack for the film Lady Sings the Blues, in which she portrayed Billie Holiday. The soundtrack album peaked at #1 on Billboard's Pop albums chart, reportedly selling over 300,000 copies during its first eight days of release. Ross' performance in the film received critical acclaim and Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress; she won the Golden Globe award for "Most Promising Newcomer." Ross' second version of the song was a revival of Holiday's jazz/blues reading. Ross gave one of her most critically hailed performances of the song in 1979 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was recorded for an HBO concert special during her "The Boss" world tour. Spanish singer/actress Sarita Montiel also recorded this song in Spanish ("Mi Hombre") and sang it in her movie "La Violetera."

In 1971, the Spanish singer Maruja Garrido recorded a cover of the song in Spanish entitled "Es Mi Hombre", with a video featuring Salvador Dalí.

On the Billboard Music Awards 1991, Whitney Houston covers the song, giving it a more jazzy-pop version.

Etta James recorded the song for her album Blue Gardenia (2001)

Lea Michele covered the song in the Glee episode "Funeral". Prior to the episode's airing, she sang the song at MusiCares 2011, where Streisand was honored as Person of the Year. Regina Spektor covered the song for the Boardwalk Empire soundtrack in 2011 (featured in the end credits of "A Dangerous Maid").

Notes

  1. ↑ Fanny Brice sued Twentieth Century Fox for using her life story for Rose of Washington Square without her permission. The studio settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
  2. ↑ Streisand's win for Best Actress was a tie with Katharine Hepburn for The Lion in Winter.[3]

References

  • Editions Francis Salabert :Paris, Copyright 1920 Sheet music for the song Mon Homme
  1. ↑ "My Man" sung by Alice Faye in Rose of Washington Square (1939) on YouTube (audio only)
  2. ↑ Barbra Streisand at Oscars.org
  3. ↑ The Lion in Winter (1968) - Awards at IMDb
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